Wildfire Warnings. 10.17.22

 I'm temporarily away from the homestead due to wildfire warnings.  We are a few miles from the evacuation zones, but it is smoky.  I'm a couple of miles northeast of Battle Ground, which is in the Northeast corner of the map.  The map is from the county website.

I always keep a Go-Bag although the contents are a bit old now.  Last night I spent an hour chasing one of the hens, who didn't want to go back to the hen house.

Over the years, we removed flammable shrubs and trees from areas adjacent to the house.  The mulch next to the house is lava rock gravel.  The big propane tank is gone.  The neighbors' towering Leyland cypress are the main risk.   Right now it's wait and see.

Completed Star Quilt. 10.17.22

 Yesterday I finished the star quilt.  It's very warm and white heavy.  I'm not sure when I started it.  I think June, last year.

Some of the individual star blocks up close.

The backing is also made from thrifted cotton men's shirts.

Im happy with the result.  It's better up close than in photos.  I think my next quilt will be full of bright colors, as a contrast to the muted colors I've been using lately.

The original pattern was published in a UK quilting magazine, Today's Quilter and was designed bt Lynne Goldsworthy.

Tree Frog. 10.15.22

 I see a lot of these around here.

Apple Harvest from Miniature Trees. 10.15.22

 These are from trees on super dwarfing rootstocks, or short columnar trees, or espaliers.  For many, this is their fist year bearing, so I don't expect much.  I'm surprised some are so large.

From top to bottom, these are Jonagold, Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, Golden Treat  The small ones in the container above, are Redlove Calypso.

More Flower Seed Saving. 10.15.22

 The first flower seeds that I saved were damp.  Then I may have left them too long in the sunroom to dry, where the temperature surpassed 100 F.  So I saved more today.  Today was dry so they did not need additional drying.  Just put the flower heads into paper bags, and staple the top,  They will be in the cool, dry pantry until I clean them up during the winter.  I collected Rudbeckia that had petal markings, French Marigold, Yellow Four O'Clock, Fuchsia pink Four O'Clock, French Marigold, Blood Flower (Tropical Milkweed), African Marigold, Pink (but not white) Cleome.